A production of Sola Media
White Horse Inn: Conversational Theology

Frequently Asked Questions

Theology & Organization

1. What was the Reformation?

The Reformation was really a number of people and events that all came together in the early sixteenth century in an effort to reform the Roman Catholic Church. Each reform movement tended to be localized by geography and centered on an influential pastor or prince. Two of the common concerns among all the reform movements were that the Catholic Church had strayed from the Bible’s teaching on salvation and that the worship of the Church had become polluted by idolatrous practices. Eventually the reform movements in Germany, Switzerland, and England became powerful and influential enough to break away from the political power of the papacy, and secular rulers (kings, princes, local governments) established churches outside the control of the pope.

2. Who were Martin Luther and John Calvin?

Martin Luther and John Calvin were two of the most important leaders of the reform movements that resulted in the Protestant Reformation. Luther came first and was based in Germany. Calvin was a second generation reformer and was based in Switzerland. Both men were extremely influential in their day and helped create churches that still bear the imprint of their thinking.

3. What are the solas?

The solas of the Reformation were the principle slogans or issues around which the Reformation was centered. In Latin, “sola” means “alone” or “only.” The five solas were:

  • • Sola Scriptura: Scripture alone is the source of our faith and life
  • • Sola gratia: salvation is grounded in God’s grace alone, not any human merit
  • • Sola fide: salvation comes through faith alone not by any other means
  • • Solus Christus: salvation is effected in Christ alone, not by any other work or savior
  • • Soli deo gloria: salvation’s purpose is for God’s glory alone, not any other end

4. How is the Reformation relevant to the modern church?

More than just a historical curiosity, we believe that the Reformation recovered the essential tenets of Christianity. In our own day, those central tenets (the solas) have been lost to pragmatism and entertainment. The pursuit of a modern Reformation, then, will lead us to recover and apply the same truths in our churches and in our lives that enlivened the Reformation. We’re not seeking a Golden Age, or the return to some pristine period of church history. Instead, we want to see the modern church take up the same slogans of the Reformation in ways uniquely suited to our time and place, and the challenges we face.

5. What’s wrong with evangelicalism?

Every kind of church in every period of church history has faced the temptation of accommodation over faithfulness. Evangelicalism is no exception. Exacerbating the problem is the lack of a defining center for evangelicalism. Other forms of Christianity have a history and definable set of beliefs that identify and guide the church. Evangelicalism, on the other hand, has generally stressed personal experience and piety over more ordered and formal ways of defining and describing the church. This has made it perhaps even more susceptible to the modern day cults of personality and myth of influence that have eroded evangelicalism’s base.

6. Aren’t you just another group with an opinion? Why should I care?

All we ask is that you take a look around you and consider the state of contemporary Christianity. You should care about it if you care about truth and the health of the church in our time. We’re not content to just voice our opinion, our goal is nothing less than a second Reformation in our day.

7. What unites the hosts of WHI?

Like its original namesake, the new White Horse Inn is not a church and our hosts don’t agree on every detail of theology (even important topics like the sacraments and election, etc.). Instead, what unites the hosts and everyone involved in White Horse Inn is a concern for churches that are God-centered rather than human-centered, Christ-focused rather than distracted by secondary concerns, gospel-driven rather than driven by programs and moralistic platitudes. The hosts believe that the solas of the Reformation [see above] are both the message and the means for the renewal of the church in our time.

8. Who writes for Modern Reformation?

Respected writers from a variety of denominations write for each issue of the magazine. Sometimes we ask writers to explain how their denomination or tradition understands a topic. We generally believe, however, that each article is useful no matter the denominational differences since each author (be they Anglican, Baptist, Congregational, Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, or Reformed) is applying one of the rich insights of the Reformation to our own questions about God, this world, and our lives in it.

9. What do you hope to accomplish through your work?

We know that real reformation, lasting transformations, happens through the ministry of particular churches. So, we’re not trying to do the work of the church, we’re merely trying to put the best Reformation resources into the hands of laypeople, church officers, thought leaders, and influencers of all kinds. By helping Christians know what they believe and why they believe it, we think greater clarity and conviction regarding the central truths of the Christian Faith will impact the lives of individual Christians and the church at large.

10. I want to bring reformation to my church; what should I do?

We’re glad you asked! You can be a part: connect with us and join the conversation, support us and spread the word, become a partner and lead the way for others to rediscover the riches of the Reformation for themselves and their churches. Join, spread, lead: the path of participation is clear and we’re honored that we can count on you.

Customer Service

1. How do I order CDs of White Horse Inn programs?

You may obtain programs that are not on Oneplace (the site that archives our audio) by ordering the broadcast month’s complete CD set directly through our office. Additionally, you may also order on CD the programs that are still available on Oneplace, as we have current as well as older programs available for purchase. At this time we do not have mp3s available for purchase.

The WHI CD sets are packaged as month sets and there are two different CD formats available for your choosing:

A) The 2-CD set in the standard-length format (inventory begins with August 2004)

or

B) The 4-CD set on the extended-length format (inventory begins with January 2005)

Description of the 2-CD set (standard-length set):

  • Contains a month’s worth (four or five weekly programs) of WHI programs
  • Each program in this set is about 30 minutes in length

Description of the 4-CD set (extended-length set):

  • Also contains a month’s worth of WHI programs
  • In addition to what is found on the standard-length set (see above), each program has *bonus material* (e.g., lectures from our archives, further discussion with featured guests, further discussion among the WHI co-hosts, etc)
  • Each program in this set is about 60-75 minutes in length

CD Prices (includes shipping & handling):

  1. The 2-CD sets are $15 each
  2. The 4-CD sets are $30 each

Therefore, one month’s worth of CDs is either $15 or $30.

As a side note, you may be interested to know that we are hoping to be able to offer within the next year or so an online store that contains Bible study resources as well as groupings of previous episodes, e.g., Romans Revolution series, White Horse Inn Classics, Apologetics: Defending your Faith, etc. Selling these resources will not only help us to fund our mission, which is to inform and persuade Christians to embrace Reformation theology, but they will also give us the means to provide more resources for the benefit of the church.

If you are interested in placing a CD order, please call our offices at 1-800-890-7556 extension 10 or 11 (Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm PST).

2. I’m curious about the bumper music for one of your programs. How can I find out what it was?

The names and artists of the songs played on the WHI can be found on our Broadcast Archive page. This part of our website features the details of this year’s programs in reverse chronological order, with the most recent program on top (for program details from earlier years, you can click on the respective year at the top of the page whenever you are in the Previous Programs section). The details include related articles, recommended books, and finally, music selection. There you will find corresponding hyperlinks (whenever available) for the artists and where to purchase their music.

3. My Modern Reformation username and password don’t work. Am I doing something wrong?

Please manually type in your username and password. Copying and pasting your login information doesn’t always work because a space might inadvertently be included in the paste, or your computer’s cache may be too full with other data. You will know you are logged in successfully when you see the two “My Account” and “Log Out” buttons on the upper right hand corner of the webpage.

4. Can WHI recommend a church in my area?

Sadly, even otherwise good denominations aren’t always comprised of good churches. At the same time, good congregations can still be found in suspect denominations. So, we don’t feel the freedom to recommend specific churches. We can, however, help you identify the characteristics of a good church.

5. What discount do you offer for bulk orders of Modern Reformation magazine?

We offer a 15% discount on any orders of three or more.

6. How do I update my credit card for a recurring gift?

Click on the “Partnerships” tab and sign up as if you were a new partner. White Horse Inn will update your card number and make sure not to send duplicate CD’s or magazines.

7. How do I update my address?

You can send a quick email to help–at–whitehorseinn.org with your name and updated address information or give us a call at 1-800-890-7556.

8. Can I copy my CDs for my friends?

If you are receiving the 2-CD Innkeeper sets, you can make an occasional copy for a friend since we also make this material free for a time on our website. We do ask that you not distribute copies of the extended 4-CD sets that we send to our Architect and Reformer partners.

9. Can I distribute copies of Modern Reformation articles?

Yes, provided you are printing fewer than 500 copies and attributing the article to Modern Reformation magazine.

10. Are you a tax exempt organization?

Yes, White Horse Inn is a charitable organization under IRS 501(c)(3). The Canadian Revenue Service also recognizes gifts to White Horse Inn as tax-deductible. 

11. Can I order an extra CD binder?

Yes. To cover the cost of producing and shipping, extra binders can be ordered for $10. If your binder was broken in the mail, let us know and we’ll send a replacement for free. To order an additional White Horse inn CD binder, please call 1-800-890-7556.

12. How do I order past issues of Modern Reformation magazine?

Old copies of Modern Reformation can ordered by phone at 1-800-890-7556. We do not guarantee that we will have every past issue, but we do have many of the past issues available for $6 plus shipping. Orders of three or more are discounted to $5 per issue. To browse the list of topics Modern Reformation has covered over the years, visit www.modernreformation.org.

13. Do you have a catalogue of materials you can send me?

Sorry, we do not. To keep costs down, our previous content is available exclusively online.

14. What is the White Horse Inn copyright policy?

White Horse Inn (c) 2010. All Rights Reserved. Private and individual sharing & distribution of any podcast edition of the White Horse Inn is permissible and welcome. Any and all modification, editing, charging of fees or otherwise commercial use and reproduction in excess of 20 physical CD copies of any White Horse Inn broadcast or podcast is expressly forbidden. Posting of the White Horse Inn podcasts or broadcasts on blogs or websites is expressly forbidden. Links from third party websites and blogs to the original audio hosted at www.whitehorseinn.org are permissible and welcome. Any exceptions to the above must first obtain prior written approval from White Horse Inn. Inquiries may be directed to info@whitehorseinn.org.